Sharon Pitt, formerly the chief information officer and associate vice president of Information Technology Services at Binghamton University, was named vice president of information technologies at the University of Delaware by UD President Dennis Assanis in October of 2017.
At Binghamton University, her tenure there included the creation of the university’s first makerspace, implementation of a mobile-friendly user experience portal and development of an information technology strategic plan for the university with broad input from faculty, students and staff. Active in numerous professional committee and associations, she currently serves as co-chair of EDUCAUSE’s Higher Education Information Security Council (HEISC) and is a board member of NYSERNet, the New York State Education and Research Network. She is also a member of the EDUCAUSE Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force.
As a member of the president’s senior staff, the chief information officer provides leadership to the University’s use of information technologies for teaching, learning, research, administrative and outreach activities, as well as assessment of new and emerging technologies.
She has served as a faculty mentor of the NY CIO Leadership Academy as well as a mentor for the Leading Change Institute and the EDUCAUSE Senior Leadership Roundtable. Sharon is a graduate of the Leadership Legacy Program of George Mason University and is a 2004 Frye Fellow.
Ms. Pitt feels that information technology organizations can make an important contribution to the success of an institution but there are challenges.
“There is never a time when we are not in service to our students, our faculty, our staff, our teams, or our profession. Our field changes rapidly, so we need to understand the capabilities, challenges, and emerging opportunities of various technologies in order to be full partners in the success of our institution. Anywhere we participate—at any “table,” virtual or real—we need to add value. The caveat is that our expertise must be offered without defensiveness and without conceit but with helpfulness and with empathy for the challenges of others. And when you find yourself without answers, ask for help.”
She also believes that inclusion and diversity adds value to the profession.
“The technology profession, whether in higher education or beyond, needs greater diversity. As IT professionals, we partner and collaborate within our institution, across institutions, and across industry. Yet our organizations and our vendor partners often do not reflect the diversity of the institutions and regions we serve. We need to make a considered and concerted effort, locally and beyond, to ensure that everyone in our community feels included and has an opportunity in our profession.”